Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 248: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

240 HER ROYAL LOVER. which her mother should have occupied and which remains empty, very empty, although the grand- mother has taken a long journey to occupy it and replace the absent mother. But she whose emotions has no longer limits, is the Princess Aline. She bows her head, which is supported by a neck as white as that of a swan, and tears fall behind the fan that her trembling hands hold in order to conceal her face. The ceremony advances. The minister has ter- minated, and the organ pours out anew its bountiful and sonorous sounds, while the bride, making a profound courtesy to the Empress of Hindostan, kneels before her and reverently inclines her head to receive the maternal kiss and benediction. At this moment not an eye is dry in the church, for while the grandmother tenderly embraces her eranddaughter, all hearts, even the most indiffer- ent, are filled with the painful remembrance of the last great ceremony which has preceded this in this chapel; the interment of the young dead queen. The procession is formed anew for the return and re-entrance to the royal apartments. The great festive banquet will soon begin. But the empress will not assist at it; she will retire in her apart- ments in order to dine with those of the Princesses of Thessaly who are still too young to assist at an official banquet, and also with the young Princesses of Delhi. m Gomicbooks. co